Voters transfer suspended in Tamale following gunshots

The voter transfer exercise in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale has been halted following reports of gunshots at the Electoral Commission office in the area on Thursday.

Citi News gathered that some unknown thugs rifles opened fire at a crowd at the office.

Reports say the assailants fired gun shots to cause panic among students hoping to transfer their ballots.

According to some students, the suspected assailants threatened to kill them if they try to leave their studies to go and vote on Election Day.

The Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Command, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh in an interview on Eyewitness News said, the police received information from the EC office at about 10am on Thursday [October 7] that there was chaos at the venue.

“What happened was that, some persons were bused to the place, we don’t know whoever bused those persons to the place but there was confusion because those who buses the people [to the office] were trying to ensure that the people are attended to first, and that they created some confusion there,” he said.

ASP Tetteh added that “we heard gunshots behind the office, we quickly rushed there but unfortunately, we did not meet the person who came to the place to fire.” He explained that, preliminary investigations gathered by the Police indicated the motive of the gun men was to halt the process.

“As we speak now it [transfer process] has been halted and our men are still providing security at the Electoral Commission office. He however lamented that some people in the North were illegally in possession of firearms which were often used to perpetuate violence in the Northern Region.

‘EC voter transfer face setbacks’

The Electoral Commission voter transfer process ahead of the 2016 general elections has encountered set backs in various areas including Central Gonja, Ashaiman, Kukuom and Zabzugu-Tatale.